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January 2023 Virtual Book Tour for A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN by Shirley Russak Wachtel

“This is a story about immigration, adaptation to new cultures, and, for Esther, a chance to grapple with the traditional roles that women play. The house itself is an important part of the story … a solid choice for book clubs.” ―Library Journal

“A vibrant family saga…A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN is an impressive debut novel that illustrates the many ways that the Holocaust continues to impact contemporary Jewish life; a deeply felt hatred of fascism gives the novel its heft and lasting relevance.” ―Foreword Reviews

For fans of Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, Lauren Fox’s Send For Me and Linda Cohen Loigman’s The Two-Family House comes a moving and heartfelt immigration story of one man’s dream to have a family and build a home in America, a place where anything is possible. In A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN (Little A; January 1, 2023), critically acclaimed author Shirley Russak Wachtel pens her debut novel, an engaging and beautifully written tale that explores three main themes: the importance of following one’s dreams; the enduring nature of family and friendship; and the idea that home is a reflection of the lives within its four walls.

In 1944 Poland, Jacob Stein and Zalman Mendelson meet as boys under terrifying circumstances. They survive by miraculously escaping the brutalities of the Holocaust, but their shared past haunts and shapes their lives forever.

Years later, Zalman plows a future on a Minnesota farm, and Jacob has a new life in Brooklyn with his wife, Esther. When Zalman travels to New York City to reconnect, Jacob’s dream to build a home in Brooklyn becomes a reality. With Zalman’s help, they build a house for Jacob’s family and for Zalman, who decides to stay. Modest and light filled, inviting and warm, it’s a castle to call home for each of them.

Then an unforeseeable tragedy―and the grief, betrayals, and revelations in its wake―threatens to destroy what was once an unbreakable bond, and Esther finds herself at a crossroads.

Life goes on as others, with their own dreams, move into the home.  Eventually, the novel comes full circle as those who remain come to understand the true nature of friendship and family.

When asked about the inspiration for her novel, Wachtel explains, “I am defined by my parents’ legacy. Growing up the child of Holocaust survivors, never knowing my grandparents and with only a handful of extended family members, I came to understand the importance of family and am driven to express this idea in my writing.  From a young age, I learned of the horrific experiences my parents endured and their desire to build a better life for their children.  Their story is the story of so many others seeking to build a new home in America.  I wanted to express this idea in A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN.”

We have a great line up of fantastic bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month of January. We hope you will follow along to learn more about this wonderful new historical fiction!

Monday, January 2nd – We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie

Tuesday, January 3rd – Cassie’s Books Reviews

Wednesday, January 4th – The Caffeinated Reader

Thursday, January 5th – Sue the Bookie

Friday, January 6th – Booklover Laura

Sunday, January 8th – Books N’ Yoga Pants

Monday, January 9th – Bookoholic Café

Tuesday, January 10th – Books Writing and More

Wednesday, January 11th – Lit by Lilli

Thursday, January 12th – Danish Mustard Reads

Friday, January 13th – Andrea C. Lowry Reads

Sunday, January 15th – Bookphile Belle

Monday, January 16th – Books and Coffee MX

Tuesday, January 17th – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Tuesday, January 17th – Gloriana Wong

Wednesday, January 18th – Sarah and Her Bookshelves

Thursday, January 19th – Tina May Reads

Friday, January 20th – The Book Club Mom

Saturday, January 21st – Subakka Book Stuff

Sunday, January 22nd – Girl Who Reads

Monday, January 23rd – Momfluenster

Tuesday, January 24th – Storeybook Reviews

Wednesday, January 25th – Bookalong

Thursday, January 26th – Sarah’s Bookstack

Friday, January 27th – We Break For Books

Monday, January 30th – Kim Reads and Reads

Monday, January 30th – Books on my Mind

Tuesday, January 31st – The Book Review Crew

Tuesday, January 31st – Lexijava

Filed Under: Blog Tours, Uncategorized Tagged With: Amazon Publishing, fiction, historical fiction, January release, Jewish author, Jewish fiction, Literary fiction, Little A, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations

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October Virtual Book Tour for NEVER MEANT TO MEET YOU by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

“As these neighboring families blend, the authors do a good job exploring the common ground between African American and Jewish experiences: the characters feel like real people with racial and religious identities that inform their world views, but don’t define them…It’s an impressive feat sure to move romance fans and women’s fiction readers alike.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

“A sparkling story of unlikely friendship. Marjette is Black and Noa is Jewish, but they find commonalities between their two cultures while also learning about their differences. Marjette’s light and funny voice carries the book in this complex yet sunny read…a must-buy.” – Booklist

From the authors of Tiny Imperfections comes a riotously funny, emotionally real look at race and religion, love and heartache, and the realities of parenting through it all.

Self-appointed fixer of other people’s woes Marjette Lewis is uncharacteristically determined to keep to her side of the driveway when it comes to her flawless neighbor Noa Abrams. Professionally, Marjette has her hands full as she prepares for a new class of kindergarteners and her first year of teaching without her best friend, Judy, as campus “Black-up.” And at home, her son’s budding manhood challenges her expectations, and her vexing ex-husband continues to be a thorn in her side.

But when tragedy strikes Marjette’s street, and an unexpected child shows up on the first day of school with an uncle who has all the class moms aflutter, Marjette is forced to contend with both her neighbor and her own heartache over losing the life she once thought was guaranteed. Through laughter, tears, and the gift of found family, Marjette and Noa navigate the rituals of loss together and discover the strength to remake their lives—whether they meant to or not.

NEVER MEANT TO MEET YOU is a lively, perceptive read that explores race, religion, privilege, education, love and parenting with humor, joy and grace. Best of all, it will remind you of how healing an unexpected magical friendship can be.

We have a marvelous schedule of bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month October. Follow along to learn more about the book and perhaps to win a free copy!

Saturday, October 1 – SUZY APPROVED BOOK REVIEWS

Monday, October 3 – THE BOOKISH MOM

Tuesday, October 4 – STACY 40 PAGES

Wednesday, October 5 – DANISH MUSTARD READS

Thursday, October 6 – ANDREA C. LOWRY READS

Friday, October 7 – MRS. BOOM READS

Saturday, October 8 – PURRFECT PAGES

Monday, October 10 – NOVEL GOSSIP

Monday, October 10 – THE READING BLACK GIRLS

Tuesday, October 11 – BRIANA’S BEST READS

Wednesday, October 12 – BOOKAPOTAMUS

Thursday, October 13 – SUE THE BOOKIE

Friday, October 14 – MOMMA LEIGH ELLEN’S BOOK NOOK

Saturday, October 15 – TEE’S BOOK JOURNEY

Monday, October 17 – AIMEE DARS READS

Tuesday, October 18 – LEX WITH THE TEXT

Wednesday, October 19 – OH THE BOOKS SHE WILL READ

Thursday, October 20 – TINA MAY READS

Friday, October 21 – THE BOOK LOVER BOOK CLUB

Monday, October 24 – THE BOOK CLUB MOM

Tuesday, October 25 – EXTROVERTED FOR BOOKS

Tuesday, October 25 – READING FOR THE SEASONS

Wednesday, October 26 – SARAH’S BOOKSTACK

Thursday, October 27 – ANGIE OVER BOOKED

Thursday, October 27 – JESS N BOOKS

Friday, October 28 – BOOKIN IT WITH AHTIYA

Filed Under: Blog Tours, Uncategorized Tagged With: Asha Youmans, Black fiction, Frank and Youmans, friendship fiction, Jewish fiction, Montlake Publishing, Never Meant To Meet You, October new releases, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Teacher fiction, Tiny Imperfections, women’s fiction

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Coming May 17, 2022

From the Award-Winning Author of Rashi’s Daughters and 50 Shades of Talmud

Comes a Powerful Romance with a Purpose

The Choice: A Novel of Love, Faith, and the Talmud
by Maggie Anton, author of Rashi’s Daughters, Banot Press, ISBN: 978-0-9763050-3-3, $16.99

It’s Brooklyn, New York, and the year is 1955. Dr. Robert Salk discovers a vaccine for polio. The Dodgers play the Yankees in the World Series. The McCarthy hearings deport communists while the new state of Israel takes shape in the Middle East. Young Rabbi Nathan Mandel hears a knock at the door.

Expecting journalist H. M. Covey, he is shocked to find attractive Hannah Eisin on the other side. Hannah reveals that Covey was her birth name before her father died and her mother married Samuel Eisin. She uses an ambiguous byline because she’s writing for a Yiddish newspaper where female columnists are rare.

After the interview, Hannah convinces Rabbi Mandel to teach her Talmud, something forbidden by Jewish law that could cost him his job if discovered. Things start innocently enough, but soon the gloves come off as “Annie” and “Nate” discover they are passionate about much more than Talmud.

Maggie Anton has written a powerful love story with a purpose: to expose the many ways the Torah and Talmud have been interpreted unfavorably toward women. Anton is fearless in the subjects her characters tackle during their weekly sessions:

  • Niddah & Mikveh. Rules regarding sex and menstruation.
  • The Minyan & The Drash. Why Jewish women are excluded from services.
  • The Shanda of Mesirah. A rabbi refuses to turn a pedophile over to police.

Anyone interested in the role of women in Judaism will find Maggie Anton’s The Choice an unforgettable story that sets the record straight!

ABOUT MAGGIE ANTON:

Maggie Anton is an award-winning author of both fiction and nonfiction and a Talmud scholar with a deep understanding of Jewish women’s history. Her research into the great Jewish scholar Rashi, who had no sons, led to the award-winning trilogy Rashi’s Daughters, followed by a two-book series, Rav Hisda’s Daughter, a National Jewish Book Award finalist and a Library Journal pick for Best Historical Fiction. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

ADAVANCE PRAISE FOR THE CHOICE:

“Maggie Anton gives evocative voice to the generation of our mothers, whose questions and bold solutions, especially about the most intimate of subjects, laid the foundation for the contemporary transformation of women’s status in Jewish learning and law.” —Rabbi Susan Grossman, DHL, Senior Rabbi, Beth Shalom Congregation, Columbia, Maryland, and coeditor of Daughters of the King

“The Choice takes us into the Jewish world of love and learning and the love of learning. One can only be grateful for such an intriguing and engaging work. Maggie Anton’s combination of history, imagination, and feminist reading of classical Jewish texts is impressive.” —Rabbi Laura Geller, Rabbi Emerita, Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, and coauthor of Getting Good at Getting Older

“Maggie Anton utilizes her characters’ authentic voices to address social justice while still entertaining the reader with an engaging romance.” —Jackie Ben-Efraim, Special Collections Librarian, American Jewish University

“Maggie Anton’s new novel embeds issues concerning the intersection of modernity, belief, and ritual practices within a lively, intellectually engaging romance. . . . Best of all, the romantic relationship of Hannah and Nathan evolves in sync with their scintillating discussions of various Talmudic passages, from both traditional and critical perspectives, leaving us wondering just how much more enriched Jewish life would be today had women been participants in the Talmudic dialectic all along.” —Stuart S. Miller, Professor of Hebrew History and Judaic Studies, University of Connecticut at Storrs, and author of At the Intersection of Texts and Material Finds

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT MAGGIE ANTON’S NOVELS:

“True to her mission as a historical novelist, Maggie Anton offers a woman’s take on what has been a mostly male enterprise.” —Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Jewish Journal

“Maggie Anton demonstrates just how sex-positive Judaism is.” —Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Rector and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, American Jewish University

“Anton delivers a tour de force . . . [Readers] will fly through the pages and come away wishing for more.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“A compelling combination of drama, suspense, and romance.”—Lilith magazine

For further information, review copy requests, or to schedule an interview with Maggie Anton, please contact Rachel Tarlow Gul at Over the River Public Relations: rachel@otrpr.com.


Filed Under: Fiction, News & Announcements, Uncategorized Tagged With: Banot Press, fiction, historical fiction, Jewish author, Jewish fiction, Maggie Anton, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations

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May 2021 Virtual Blog Tour for JACOBO’S RAINBOW by David Hirshberg

Release date: May 4, 2021, Fig Tree Books, LLC

We’re excited to share this great schedule for a virtual book tour for JACOBO’S RAINBOW by the multiple award-winning author, David Hirshberg. Reviewers of Hirshberg’s debut novel, My Mother’s Son, compared his writing to that of Michael Chabon’s and Saul Bellow’s, among others.  My Mother’s Son just won its 9th award –  a 2020 Best Book Awards Finalist for Historical Fiction.   The early praise for his new novel – from the likes of Gary Shteyngart, Shulem Deen, Marcia Clark, and more! – has been fantastic. We hope you will join us on this tour and follow along to learn more about this great novel through reviews, excerpts, spotlights, guest posts and giveaways! 

SYNOPSIS: JACOBO’S RAINBOW is an historical literary novel set primarily in the nineteen sixties during the convulsive period of the student protest movements and the Vietnam War. It focuses on the issue of being an outsider “the other,” an altogether common circumstance that resonates with readers in today’s America. Written from a Jewish perspective, it speaks to universal truths that affect us all.

On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of a transformative event in Jacobo’s life – the day he is sent to jail – he writes about what happened behind the scenes of the Free Speech Movement, which provides the backdrop for a riveting story centered on his emergence into a world he never could have imagined. His recording of those earlier events is the proximate cause of his being arrested. Jacobo is allowed to leave jail under the condition of being drafted, engages in gruesome fighting in Vietnam, and returns to continue his work of chronicling America in the throes of significant societal changes.

Nothing is what it seems to be at first glance, as we watch Jacobo navigate through the agonies of divisive transformations that are altering the character of the country. Coming to grips with his own imperfections as well as revelations about the people around him, he begins to understand more about himself and how he can have an impact on the world around him … and how it, in turn, will have an effect on him. 

JACOBO’S RAINBOW is a story of triumph over adversity (hypocrisy, loss, lies, murder, concealment, prejudice) that is told with vivid descriptions, perceptive insights, humor and sensitivity, which enables the reader to identify with the characters who come to life to illustrate who we are, how we behave, and what causes us to change.

ADVANCE PRAISE:

“A beautiful novel set in the past but perfectly, scarily, relevant to our current moment.” —Gary Shteyngart, author of Lake Success

“Blending together historical events and wonderfully imaginative settings, David Hirshberg explores the American Jewish experience in this evocative novel of self-discovery, belonging, and the complexities of identity.” —Shulem Deen, author of All Who Go Do Not Return

“Hirshberg’s insights and observations about society, his peers, bigotry and anti-Semitism are both trenchant and currently relevant to the culture wars and threats to free speech we see on our college campuses and society at large today. Jacobo’s Rainbow is a deeply moving, sensitive, and profound novel—a definite must-read.”—Marcia Clark, author of Blood Defense and Final Judgment

“David Hirshberg propels the reader into the mix of the turbulent nineteen sixties, as if this novel was constructed from personal conversations between the characters and the author. They are all agents and witnesses of their times with intersecting ethnicities, religions, races, genders, languages, and ages. Characters in this captivating narrative hide, discover, and reveal their true inner selves as they interact with events and each other. This is a saga that drops bread crumbs for the discerning eye and gratifies the reader who recognizes them and revels in the aha moments when the pieces come together. Hirshberg is immensely skilled at conjuring plausible events that serve the narrative. He captures the essence of anti-Semitism experienced by Jews of different hues and origins. The author represents with imagined accuracy the experiences of young men and women caught up in the Free Speech movement and in the jungles of Vietnam.” —Debbie Wohl-Isard, Editor, La Granada

“Jacobo’s Rainbow is a powerful, electrifying glimpse into the life of a young student advocating for the Free Speech Movement and protesting the Vietnam War. It’s a story about truth, loyalty, tradition, and the shortcomings of human perception, an all-too-often occurrence for those who haven’t yet experienced much of life. Hirshberg’s keenly nuanced characters will remain with the reader long after the last page.” —Crystal King, author of The Chef’s Secret and Feast of Sorrow

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

David Hirshberg is the pseudonym for an entrepreneur who prefers to keep his business activities separate from his writing endeavors. As an author, he adopted the first name of his father-in-law and the last name of his maternal grandfather, as a tribute to their impact on his life. His first novel, My Mother’s Son was published in 2018 and won nine awards. Reviewers have compared Hirshberg’s writing to Michael Chabon’s and Saul Bellow’s, among others. Learn more at David Hirshberg’s website.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blog tour, David Hirshberg, Fig Tree Books, Free Speech Movement, historical fiction, Jewish fiction, May release, May virtual tour

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Fall Blog Tour for Jerusalem As A Second Language by Rochelle Distelheim

Release date: September 29, 2020

JERUSALEM AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (Aubade Publishing) is the last book written by Rochelle Distelheim, who passed away in June 2020 at the age of 92. Foreword Reviews calls the novel “absorbing” and describes the author as “incisive, funny, and poetic in approaching questions of religious practice and resistance.”

Synopsis: It is 1998. The old Soviet Union is dead, and the new Russia is awash in corruption and despair. Manya and Yuri Zalinikov, secular Jews — he, a gifted mathematician recently dismissed from the Academy; she, a talented concert pianist — sell black market electronics in a market stall, until threatened with a gun by a mafioso in search of protection money. Yuri sinks into a Chekhovian melancholy, emerging to announce that he wants to “live as a Jew” in Israel. Manya and their daughter, Galina, are desolate, asking, “How does one do that, and why?”

And thus begins their odyssey — part tragedy, part comedy, always surprising. Struggling against loneliness, language, and danger, in a place Manya calls “more cousin’s club than country,” Yuri finds a Talmudic teacher equally addicted to religion and luxury; Manya finds a job playing the piano at The White Nights supper club, owned by a wealthy, flamboyant Russian with a murky history, who offers lust disguised as love. Galina, enrolled at Hebrew University, finds dance clubs and pizza emporiums and a string of young men, one of whom Manya hopes will save her from the Israeli Army by marrying her.

Against a potpourri of marriage wigs, matchmaking television shows, disastrous investment schemes, and a suicide bombing, the Zalinikovs confront the thin line between religious faith and skepticism, as they try to answer: What does it mean to be fully human, what does it mean to be Jewish? And what role in all of this does the mazel gene play?

About the Author: Rochelle Distelheim, a Chicago native, earned numerous short story literary awards, including The Katherine Anne Porter Prize; Illinois Arts Council Literary Awards and Fellowships; The Ragdale Foundation Fellowships; The Faulkner Society Gold Medal in Novel-in-Progress; The Faulkner Society Gold Medal in Novel; The Gival Press 2017 Short Story Competition; Finalist, Glimmer Train’s Emerging Writers; and The Salamander Second Prize in Short Story. In addition, Rochelle’s short stories earned nominations for The Best American Short Stories and The Pushcart Prize.  Her stories have appeared in national magazines such as Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, Working Woman, Working Mother, and more.  Her first novel, Sadie in Love, was published in 2018 when she was 90 years old.  She lived in Highland Park, IL.

Praise for the Novel:

“Jerusalem as a Second Language tells a necessary story that I’m surprised hasn’t been told for American readers before. With wit and complexity, Rochelle Distelheim takes on two cultures whose differences are daunting and she manages to represent both with convincing detail and, most importantly, with sympathy. Her book builds a bridge over a deep chasm that her characters walk across with dignity and just enough mordant humor to convince us they’re real.” –Rosellen Brown, author of The Lake on Fire, Before and After, Tender Mercies, and Civil Wars

“Meet Manya, who grudgingly trades Russia for Israel. Shimmering with wit and bittersweet insights, Rochelle Distelheim’s Jerusalem as a Second Language is an emotional travelogue that begs the question, how does a secular Jew find her place in the world?” –Sally Koslow, author of Another Side of Paradise and the international bestseller, The Late, Lamented Molly Marx

“Quick on the heels of her smart, charming, and deeply humane novel Sadie in Love (2018), Rochelle Distelheim’s Jerusalem as a Second Language introduces her devoted readers to a whole new cast of displaced characters. As secular Jews who have fled to Jerusalem from an increasingly corrupt and dangerous Russia, the Zalinikov family struggles against displacement, loneliness, and danger in a country that is as strange to them as it is compelling. Simultaneously tender and steely-eyed, often funny, and occasionally sorrowful, Distelheim’s elegant prose plucks at the heart of what it means to be a family at odds with their new country, and with each other.” –Elizabeth Wetmore, author of Valentine

Blog Tour Schedule:

September 29th – Read with Me 702

September 30th – Grace J Reviewer Lady

October 1st – The Book Decoder

October 2nd – Jessica Belmont

October 5th – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

October 6th – Long and Short Reviews

October 7th – Storeybook Reviews

October 8th – Jennifer Tar Heel Reader

October 9th – Celtic Lady’s Reviews

October 12th – Collector of Book Boyfriends

October 13th – Beth’s Book Nook Blog

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blog tour, fiction, Jerusalem As A Second Language, Jewish author, Jewish fiction, OTRPR, Over the River Public Relations, Religion, Rochelle Distelheim, women's fiction, women's interest

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